Atlas of the Celtic World by
An historical atlas charting the Celts from their origins in the Bronze Age to their present-day diaspora, with colour maps supported by text and illustrations. It deals separately with Continental, Atlantic and Modern Celts, taking into consideration the latest research and academic controversies.
Celtic and Scandinavian Religions by
The author compares Celtic mythology and religion with the beliefs of early Scandinavian society. Vikings and Norsemen who raided British shores ruled parts of Britain for centuries. The religion of the Scandinavians was the same as the religious beliefs and practices of their fellow Teutonic and Germanic tribes, and their chief deities and religious rituals were like those of Teutonic people anywhere.
Celtic Art by
The authors have continued to keep abreast of discoveries and new interpretations of old material from Britain to Bulgaria, and the fruits of their research and travel are incorporated in this revised edition. Ranging from the Black Sea to the Baltic and from Anatolia to County Armagh, the Megaws investigate the antecedents of Celtic art, the styles and motifs employed, the relationship of the Celts and their art to the ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean, and the magnificent maturity of Celtic art in Britain and Ireland. They include major discoveries that have been made as the result of highway and rail construction and the results of detailed surveys of known sites, such as the recovery of the remarkable stone sculpture from the Glauberg northwest of Frankfurt. Continuing work at old sites such as the saltmining complex of the Durrnberg just south of Salzburg has produced new treasures, and important finds in Central and Eastern Europe and in the British Isles have necessitated a change in emphasis with regard to questions of origin and development.The wealth of pictorial material includes location maps for each period and numerous new illustrations; the comprehensive bibliography has been updated and expanded.
Celtic Myth and Arthurian Romance by
King Arthur was not an Englishman, but a Celtic warrior, according to Loomis, whose research into the background of the Arthurian legend reveals findings which are both illuminating and highly controversial. The author sees the vegetarian goddess as the prototype of many damsels in Arthurian romance, and Arthur's knights as the gods of sun and storm. If Loomis's arguments are accepted, where does this leave the historic Arthur?
Celtic Mythology by
Few surviving Celtic myths bear any resemblance to their originals. In the course of time they have been infused with romance, pseudohistory and Christian theory. Stories of Ireland and Wales have been combined with tales of love, war and slaughterdeeds both noble and ignoble. In this classic study, MacCulloch proves that Celtic legend borrowed from preCeltic mythology, just as Christianity in Britain subsumed much of the Celtic past.
Celtic Mythology by
Recounts the stories of CuChulain, Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed, Tristan and Isolt, and other Irish and Welsh myths, and discusses their role in ancient Celtic society and their survival in literature, art, and folklore
Celtic Myths by
Celtic Myths explores the mythology and beliefs of the pagan Celts between about 600 B.C. and A.D. 400. At their peak, the Celtic peoples inhabited a vast area of Europe, Great Britain, and Ireland. As non-literates, they have left no written record of their lives, their beliefs, and the stories which were such an important part of their culture; however, contemporary commentators from the Classical world, later Christian scribes recording oral traditions, and the archaeological evidence can give us fascinating, though fragmented, glimpses. Dr. Green draws on all these sources to discuss the myths and the religious beliefs and ritual which she believes inform them.
The heroic and magical tales of the Book of Invasions, the Fionn stories, the Ulster Cycle, and the Mabinogi are the subject of the first chapters. These stirring stories, though recorded in medieval times by Christian writers, preserve fascinating evidence of their pagan origins. Dr. Green then goes on to look at the evidence for Celtic religious beliefs and raises some interesting questions as to how far we can establish links and recognize common features between the story material and the archaeological record.
Celtic Myths and Legends by
This is an enchantingly told collection of the stirring sagas of gods and goddesses, fabulous beasts, strange creatures, and such heroes as Cuchulain, Fingal, and King Arthur from the ancient Celtic world. Included are popular myths and legends from all six Celtic cultures of Western Europe--Irish, Scots, Manx, Welsh, Cornish, and Breton. Here for the modern reader are the rediscovered tales of cattle raids, tribal invasions, druids, duels, and doomed love that have been incorporated into, and sometimes distorted by, European mythology and even Christian figures. For example, there is the story of Lugh of the Long Hand, one of the greatest gods in the Celtic pantheon, who was later transformed into the faerie craftsman Lugh-Chromain, and finally demoted to the lowly Leprechaun. Celtic Myths and Legends also retells the story of the classic tragic love story of Tristan and Iseult (probably of Cornish origin--there was a real King Mark and a real Tristan in Cornwall) and the original tale of King Arthur, a Welsh leader who fought against the invading Anglo-Saxons. In the hands of Peter Berresford Ellis, the myths sung by long-dead Celtic bards come alive to enchant the modern reader. "The casual reader will be best entertained by ... the legends themselves ...colored with plenty of swordplay, ... quests, shape-shiftings, and druidic sorcery."--Publishers Weekly
The Celtic World by
The Celtic Worldis a detailed and comprehensive study of the Celts from the first evidence of them in the archaeological and historical record to the early post-Roman period. The strength of this volume lies in its breadth - it looks at archaeology, language, literature, towns, warfare, rural life, art, religion and myth, trade and industry, political organisations, society and technology. The Celtic Worlddraws together material from all over pagan Celtic Europe and includes contributions from British, European and American scholars. Much of the material is new research which is previously unpublished.
The book addresses some important issues - Who were the ancient Celts? Can we speak of them as the first Europeans? In what form does the Celtic identity exist today and how does this relate to the ancient Celts?
For anyone interested in the Celts, and for students and academics alike, The Celtic Worldwill be a valuable resource and a fascinating read.
The Celts by
The story of the Celtic people begins with their expansion throughout Europe in the 4th century B.C. Because they left no written record, their culture has been reconstructed entirely from archaeological finds and accounts left by Roman historians. Includes 257 illustrations, 225 in full color.
The Celts in Myth and Legend by
With their universal themes of love, loss, and justice, myths, which define the values and customs of a particular society, continue to have meaning for us hundreds and even thousands of years after they were first told. The lavishly illustratd volumes in this series of mythological tales and beliefs from around the world explore the cultures of ancient Greece; Scandinavia; Ireland, Scotland, England, and Wales; the Far East; Native America; Africa, and Central and South America.
A brief history of the Celts -- both on the Continent and in Great Britain -- and a sampling of their best-known myths.
Classic Celtic Fairy Tales by
If the word "faery" generally evokes a gauzy sprite, the powerful, dreadful, and beautiful beings found in these Celtic legends will change that forever.
The Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore by
Celtic peoples were talented storytellers. Like many others, they passed down recollections of history and conveyed religious ideas orally, developing a strong mythological and folkloric tradition through the generations. Christianity brought literacy to the Celts, and converts who became Christian monks wrote down many of the old stories, recording them in several languages, including Irish, Welsh, and Latin. These stories provide a rich, panoramic view of Celtic culture.
The Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore is a fascinating reference to the myths and folklore originating from the people of the Celtic lands—Ireland, Scotland, Celtic Britain, Wales, Brittany and central France, Galicia, and the smaller islands where the Celts lived. This accessible book offers a broad overview of the elements that constitute and characterize Celtic mythology and folklore, including figures, deities, events, stories, and places. Concise A-to-Z entries provide brief descriptions of the subjects, emphasizing the original sources of myths and traditions and including bibliographic references.
The encyclopedia is a valuable asset anywhere myths, legends, folklore, and Irish culture and history are popular.
Heroes of the Dawn by
Enter the Celtic world of gods, goddesses, & the cosmos, where King Arthur pulled a sword from a stone. Here, with maps & historical overviews, are some of the most powerful & unforgettable Celtic stories ever told. A dramatic series that captures, culture by culture, the information that never makes it into the history books: strange stories, mystic rites, angry gods, vision quests.
King of the Celts by
In a masterful blend of history, geography, and literature, Jean Markale re-creates the true King Arthur, the real-life Celtic warrior-hero who organized the resistance to the Saxon onslaught in fifth-century England. Markale's unsurpassed knowledge of Celtic history has enabled him to reconstruct for us the actual world in which King Arthur lived--its heros, its values, and its vicissitudes--and to define the position that Arthur occupied within it.
* Explains how the Arthurian ideals of knightly virtue and chivalry are at the heart of Western literature and thought
* Shows how the Celtic heritage continues to exert a unique formative power on our personal and moral concepts
Myths and Legends of the Celts by
Myths and Legends of the Celts is a fascinating and wide-ranging introduction to the mythology of the peoples who inhabited the northwestern fringes of Europe—from Britain and the Isle of Man to Gaul and Brittany. Drawing on recent historical and archeological research, as well as literary and oral sources, the guide looks at the gods and goddesses of Celtic myth; at the nature of Celtic religion, with its rituals of sun and moon worship; and at the druids who served society as judges, diviners, and philosophers. It also examines the many Celtic deities who were linked with animals and such natural phenomena as rivers and caves, or who later became associated with local Christian saints. And it explores in detail the rich variety of Celtic myths: from early legends of King Arthur to the stories of the Welsh Mabinogi, and from tales of heroes including Cúchulainn, Fionn mac Cumhaill, and the warrior queen Medb, to tales of shadowy otherworlds—the homes of spirits and fairies. What emerges is a wonderfully diverse and fertile tradition of myth-making that has captured the imagination of countless generations, introduced and explained here with compelling insight.
The World of the Celts by
"The whole race...is madly fond of war, high-spirited and quick to battle...and on whatever pretext you stir them up, you will have them ready to face danger, even if they have nothing on their own side but their own strength and courage" - Strabo, first century BC. Warlike, flamboyant, courageous - the ancient Celts had a fearsome reputation, even among the bellicose Romans. For 500 years they dominated the barbarian lands north of the Alps, before being largely absorbed into the Roman Empire. But Celtic culture survived and achieved a glorious flowering in the post-Roman, early Christian era. Today Celtic influence can be found everywhere, in arts and crafts, in legends, in placenames and even in the languages we speak. In this new introduction to the world of the Celts, Simon James looks at all aspects of their history. Individual sections chart their rise, their way of life from farming to feasting, their wars, their gods, and their superb craftsmanship. Also highlighted are the hitherto neglected subject of Celtic life under Roman rule and persistent traditions that led to the Celtic renaissance in Ireland after AD 400. Original features include the latest discoveries; extracts from classical authors; illustrated retellings of the most famous myths and legends; tables of comparative information; diagrams, maps and site plans. The Celts once held sway over much of Europe, from Caledonia to Asia Minor. Here is the whole story of this immensely inventive and influential people.
